The present invention relates to containers and container closure devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to reclosable container closure devices which selectively dispense materials packaged within a container.
Products for sale to a consumer must be packaged so that the product is closed from the atmosphere. This is particularly true for hydrophilic products such as dry dog food, cat litter, bird seed, laundry detergent, planters soil, snack food products, etc. For pourable products, such as a granular or powder material, it is desirable that the packaging be provided with a structure for conveniently dispensing the material. It is also desirable that the packaging be capable of being reclosed after use.
Containers are known for packaging and selling various products. For example, plastic bag containers are generally sleeve-like four-sided devices made from sheets of plastic which are sealed along their edges. Examples of plastic bag containers which are typically reenforced by cardboard or paper, are containers for the sale of pet food, such as dry dog food, bird seed, etc. Unfortunately, once opened, these devices do not include a means incorporated into the bag for maintaining the bag in a closed configuration which leaves the container susceptible to spilling and the contents of the container open to the atmosphere. To overcome these disadvantages, consumers typically use a clip or the like to press open the edges of the bag together. Otherwise, the bag is left open with contents of the bag in contact with the atmosphere.
Several attempts have been made to produce a container including a device for dispensing the material within the container. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,308 issued to Peppiatt discloses a flexible bag having a pouring spout. The bag assumes a roughly hexahedral shape. When the bag is filled, a pouring conduit extends from both sides of the bag and acts as a spout permitting the contents of the bag to be easily poured.
Meanwhile, U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,073 issued to Friedenthal discloses a dispensing container with a rupturable spout. The container includes a breakaway section separated by a line of weakness. To gain access to the contents of the bag, the breakaway section is removed and then covered with a flap having a pouring hole. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,497 issued to Kuppersbusch discloses a similar container for packaging milk in which a top flap forms an ear which is folded down to cover an aperture formed in the sidewall of the container.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,326 issued to Hager discloses a dog food container formed from a single precut-perforated cardboard blank. The dog food container is transformed by the consumer to provide a hopper and tray into which dog food can be released into.
All of the above described containers suffer from serious drawbacks. For example, each of these containers is relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture or assemble. Furthermore, several of these containers do not provide an adequate seal for the container. For example, the dog food container of U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,326 permits to the contents within the container to be entirely open to the atmosphere, potentially spoiling the contents of the bag. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,160,308 and 3,567,073 require that the container be tilted to permit the contents within the container to be released.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved container closure device for selectively releasing the contents within the package.
It is an additional object of the invention that the container closure device of the present invention be inexpensive and uncomplicated to manufacture.
It is still another object of the present invention that the container closure device be capable of functioning with a variety of different containers of different configurations and materials.
Additionally, it is an object of the present invention that the container closure device provide a useful means for both commencing the dispencement of a material from the interior of the container and for efficiently terminating the flow of the contents from the a container when so desired.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a reclosable container closure device which may be located at the lower portion of the container to permit gravity to release the container contents in contrast to tilting the container required for releasing the container contents from the top portion of the container.